Buteyko Breathing re-training for Children

Children from 3 years of age can quickly pick up the Buteyko Method, which is designed to make the learning easy and enjoyable. The Buteyko method will help your child to reduce asthma attacks and dependency on medication or antibiotics. It will help you, the parents, to recognise the signs and know what to do when you notice them.

The earlier your child learns the Buteyko method, the easier it is to correct their poor breathing, lack of concentration, asthma or tonsils/adenoid problems, or orofacial dysfunction. The Buteyko Method will enable your asthmatic child to control and reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, and learn how to overcome their symptoms naturally.

Buteyko educates parents and children about good respiration, asthma symptoms and triggers and their medication and how it works. This will help to promote good asthma management on little or no drugs.

QUESTION: Does your child breathe through their mouth? If so, how does mouth breathing impact a child?

These children do not sleep well at night due to obstructed airways; this lack of sleep can adversely affect their growth and academic performance. Many of these children are misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity. It is important for the entire health care community (including general and pediatric dentists) to screen and diagnose for mouth breathing in adults and in children as young as 5 years of age.

If mouth breathing is treated early, its negative effect on facial and dental development and the medical and social problems associated with it can be reduced or averted.”

Advice to parents until they are able to take their child to a class:

Keep reminding your child to breathe through their nose at all times. This may be difficult in the beginning, but constant reminders them will yield great improvements in their health

Ensure that they always take their preventative medication (and always the stated dose) as prescribed by their Doctor

Make sure that they always have their relieving medication (bronchodilators) with them

Make sure you understand what each of your child’s medications does and how it should be taken

Make a note of when attacks occur, and what has happened at that particular time so as to identify triggers.